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Why are high voltages used to transfer electrical power from power stations in the National Grid? A - OCR Gateway - GCSE Physics - Question 13 - 2021 - Paper 2
Question 13
Why are high voltages used to transfer electrical power from power stations in the National Grid? A. They allow low resistance wires to be used. B. They produce a ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Why are high voltages used to transfer electrical power from power stations in the National Grid? A - OCR Gateway - GCSE Physics - Question 13 - 2021 - Paper 2
Step 1
C. They reduce energy losses.
Answer
High voltages are preferred in power transmission because they significantly reduce energy losses. This is due to the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance as described by Joule's law, which states that power loss due to heat in resistance can be expressed as . By increasing the voltage and reducing the current, power losses in the wires can be minimized, making power transfer more efficient.